Jose Mourinho: Maribor Deserve Respect

“We need the three points. I’m going to play with the strongest possible team, trying to get the points, respecting them.” (Jose Mourinho)

Chelsea FC entertain Slovenian champions, Maribor in the Champions League Group H tie at Stamford Bridge, and Blues boss Jose Mourinho is all too aware of the ability of their opponents to spring a surprise result.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of the match, Mourinho highlighted the quality of the team that most pundits had earmarked as the group ‘whipping boys’ for this campaign:

“They have two points. They are unbeaten in the Champions League.

“I think in this moment people will have thought they would have zero points but they got one point against Sporting and they went to Germany and they got exactly the same result as we got against Schalke, only ours was at Stamford Bridge.”

Mourinho went to explain that the international break gave the management team the time to learn as much as they can about their visitors:

“Eight matches in the Champions League they [Maribor] didn’t lose. Celtic [Maribor] didn’t lose, and when I study them, I understand why they didn’t lose.”

Chelsea will need to be on their mettle in tonight’s match. Just like the match on Saturday, Maribor enjoy sitting deep and letting their opponents come onto them, pressing as a team and looking to counter.

Against Schalke, Maribor logged a lowly 35% possession, yet still scored first, and still held off the German qualifiers.

The increased physical aspect of the Blues this season will likely also be required, given that Maribor had four yellow cards in their last Champions League match at Schalke.

As Mourinho explains, they will not be a pushover:

“We need the three points. I’m going to play with the strongest possible team, trying to get the points, respecting them.”

That said, Chelsea should have enough to get a positive result and with the return leg in a couple of weeks, hopefully confirm qualification through to the group stage in first place.